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Information Commons Facilities
The design of the facility departs from similar facilities in its openness and simplicity and reflects an intention to allow its use to evolve as naturally as possible over time. Located on the lower level of the Waidner-Spahr Library at Dickinson College, the Information Commons consists of the following facilities:
The Commons
The open use space for individual computing This space hosts 32
Dell personal computers running Windows XP, flatbed scanners, and
DVD/CD-RW drive with Microsoft Office, the Adobe Creative Suite
with Acrobat, Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, Macromedia Dreamweaver,
Fireworks, and Flash. Additional software includes the latest Internet
Explorer and Netscape browsers. This space also includes tables
and chairs for study, lounge areas, and the microfilm collection.
The Alden Collaborative Learning Space
Named in honor of the Alden Foundation, which funded the creation of the Information Commons, the Alden Room consists of six Windows XP computers with large scale monitors residing on custom built furniture. Each of these units can accommodate four students working collaboratively on projects. The size and design of the furniture ensures that all students are able to comfortably see the monitor from any seated position. The Alden Room serves two functions. It serves as an electronic classroom with an open concept encouraging student-faculty interaction and, when not in use as a classroom, its workstations supplement those in the open space of the Information Commons.
The Information Commons Classroom
This electronic classroom consists of 18 Apple iMacs and an instructor workstation. The design of the room accommodates flexible student-faculty interaction and a range of instructional uses. Like the Alden Room, the IC Classroom is used as an open space for student computing when it is not being used for instruction.